USA vs. Ghana

USA vs. Ghana

Ghana and the U.S. players listen to their national anthems
before their game.

Credit: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

USA vs. Ghana

Clint Dempsey gets the U.S. off to a rollicking start, decleating a Ghanaian defender and slamming the ball off the post and into the net just 35 seconds into the match, for the quickest World Cup goal in U.S. team history.

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USA vs. Ghana

Dempsey, the U.S. captain, celebrates giving his team a very early lead in a game U.S. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann had dubbed the Americans' "final" and a must-win.

Credit: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

USA vs. Ghana

Daniel
Opare of Ghana and Jermaine Jones of the United States battle for the ball.

USA vs. Ghana

Ghana quickly recovered from its opening debacle and constantly attacked the Americans for most of the rest of the first half.

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USA vs. Ghana

Jozy
Altidore of the United States pulls up injured after making a run down the left flank.

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USA vs. Ghana

U.S. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann (R) comforts forward Jozy
Altidore after he injured his hamstring. The extent of Altidore’s injury is
unclear for now. He was immediately replaced in the game by young Icelandic
American forward Aron Johannson. Altidore had been expected to play a big part in
Klinsmann’s aggressive style before the World Cup.

Credit: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

USA vs. Ghana

Sulley
Muntari of Ghana and Alejandro Bedoya of the United States battle for the ball. The U.S. midfielders struggled to keep up with their counterparts for most of the game.

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USA vs. Ghana

Ghana's
goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey (L) dives for the ball during one of only a handful of shots the U.S. team was able to get near the Ghanaian goal.

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USA vs. Ghana

Ghana's
defender John Boye (L) kicks Clint Dempsey in the face as the two go up for a ball near midfield in the first half.

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USA vs. Ghana

Clint
Dempsey bleeds from what ended up being a broken nose after he was kicked in the face by Ghana's John Boye, who did not receive a card for the foul.

USA vs. Ghana

USA vs. Ghana

Asamoah
Gyan of Ghana competes for the ball with Geoff Cameron of the United States. Ghana's attack kept the U.S. defense on its heels for much of the night.

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USA vs. Ghana

Ghana's
midfielder Andre Ayew (C) scores against U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard (R) in the 82nd minute. Few observers were surprised when Ghana eventually broke through after several near-misses.

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USA vs. Ghana

Andre
Ayew of Ghana celebrates after scoring his team's first and only goal so far in the 2014 World Cup.

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USA vs. Ghana

Kwadwo
Asamoah of Ghana challenges Michael Bradley of the United States. After Ghana's goal, the U.S. showed a sense of urgency and got better with its possession and attacking.

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USA vs. Ghana

Aron
Johannsson of the United States is challenged by Sulley Muntari (L) and Michael
Essien of Ghana.

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USA vs. Ghana

U.S. defender John Brooks (2L) heads the ball for a score on a corner kick from midfielder Graham Zusi in the 86th minute. Brooks was a halftime substitute for defender Matt Besler, who was taken off due to an injury.

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USA vs. Ghana

Brooks, seen here third form left as his headed ball slips through Ghana's defense for America's second goal of the game, is one of several players on the American team who is the son of an American serviceman dad and a German mother. He is just 21 years old, and could have played for Germany until he debuted in the Ghana game and wrote himself into the American record books.

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USA vs. Ghana

Brooks told reporters after the game he had envisioned scoring the winning goal with a header, even though he was not projected to play until Besler was hurt.

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USA vs. Ghana

Substitutes
of the United States celebrate their team's second goal.

Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

USA vs. Ghana

Jurgen
Klinsmann of the United States smiles after the victory with his team. The U.S. next plays Portugal on June 22.